2018-2019 Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K ......Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades...
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Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K–12 Overview 2020-2021 Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division
2018-2019 Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K ......Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K–12 Overview 2020-2021 Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division This
This presentation is designed to familiarize campus and district administrators and teachers with the holistically rated components of TELPAS, and how the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), in conjunction with TELPAS, support sound instructional practices for English learners (ELs). Three main types of training are provided by the TEA Student Assessment Division to support ELPS and TELPAS implementation. This presentation is the first type. ELPS-TELPAS foundational training Complements ELPS professional development training Explains connection between ELPS and TELPAS Provides thorough overview of how to use ELPS PLDs effectively in ongoing instruction and in spring TELPAS assessment Good overview to provide in the fall of the year for administrators and for teachers who will become TELPAS raters in spring TELPAS rater web-based training Required spring holistic rating training for all teachers who rate ELs for TELPAS TELPAS administration procedures training Required annual test administration training for all district and campus personnel involved with TELPAS Includes a recommended Web-based training course called Assembling and Verifying Grades 2–12 Writing Collections This overview presentation sets the stage for the additional training presentations below, which are designed to help teachers use the PLDs formatively during instruction: Introductory Training on the PLDs: Grades K–1 Introductory Training on the PLDs: Grades 2–12 These training presentations, which are recommended for use in the fall of the year, lay the foundation for web-based training of new raters in the spring.
Introduction
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
The term “English learners” or “ELs” is used to refer to students designated as limited English proficient/English learner in the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS).
Session Objectives
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1. To show the close connection between the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)
2. To reinforce the benefits of using the ELPS to teach and assess English learners (ELs) effectively throughout the school year
3. To lay the foundation for the spring training of new TELPAS raters
Definitions
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What are the ELPS?Federally required instructional standards designed to ensure that ELs are taught the academic English they need for school purposes
What is TELPAS?A federally required assessment program designed to measure the annual progress that ELs make in learning the English language
What are TELPAS raters?Teachers trained to assess ELs for TELPAS
Nuts and Bolts
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The ELPS are used in foundation and enrichment instruction of K–12 ELs.
TELPAS assesses K–12 ELs. The ELPS and TELPAS encompass –
4 language domains• Listening • Speaking• Reading • Writing
4 proficiency levels• Beginning• Intermediate• Advanced• Advanced High
Who Takes TELPAS?
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All ELs in grades K–12, including those whose parents decline bilingual/English as a second language (ESL) program services, are assessed annually.
In extremely rare cases, an EL served by special education may not be required to:
participate in one or more TELPAS language domains by the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee in conjunction with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC), or
may be eligible to participate in TELPAS Alternate.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
In extremely rare cases, ELs with disabilities who receive special education services may not be required to: participate in all or some components of TELPAS on a domain-by-domain basis as a result of a severe disabling condition, or may be eligible to participate in TELPAS Alternate. The need for such a decision is rare. The decision to administer TELPAS Alternate or to grant an ARD exemption in one or more domains in the general TELPAS is to be addressed by the LPAC and ARD committees and documented in the student’s individualized education program (IEP).
TELPAS provides proficiency level ratings for each language domain, plus an overall composite rating.
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
The composite rating takes all language domains into account. The composite rating weights are 25% for each domain. Listening 25% Speaking 25% Reading 25% Writing 25%
Assessment Approaches
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TELPAS uses online tests to assess • 2-12 listening, speaking, and reading
TELPAS uses a holistic rating process and classroom performance to assess
• 2–12 writing• K–1 listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Presenter
Presentation Notes
A multiple-choice test of English reading proficiency has been state-administered in Texas since 2000. The holistically rated components of TELPAS were benchmarked in spring 2004 and fully implemented in spring 2005. An online multiple-choice and technology enhanced test of English listening and speaking proficiency was state-administered in Texas beginning in spring 2018.
TELPAS Results
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TELPAS results are used to — set learning goals for ELs keep parents and students aware of annual progress in
learning English inform instructional planning and bilingual/ESL program
reclassification decisions report performance to the public evaluate programs, resources, and staffing patterns evaluate districts and campuses in federal and state
accountability and monitoring indicators
Brief ELPS Overview
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English Language Proficiency Standards
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Were approved by State Board of Education in 2007–2008Are part of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state-
required curriculum Include instruction school districts must provide to give ELs full
opportunity to learn English and succeed academically Require content area teachers to teach content area TEKS and
help ELs become English proficient Are an integral part of instruction in each TEKS foundation and
enrichment subjectAvailable on TEA’s Curriculum website
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The ELPS add to the content area TEKS and do not constitute a separate or substitute curriculum for ELs. Content area teachers provide instruction in both the grade-level content area TEKS and ELPS.
• make content comprehensible• build academic language
proficiency
b) District Responsibilities– Linguistically adjust instruction based
on student proficiency levels– Implement strategic interventions for
beginning and intermediate students in grade 3 and up
c) Student Expectations for Second Language Acquisition – Learning Strategies– Listening– Speaking– Reading– Writing
d) Proficiency Level Descriptors foreach Language Domain– Beginning– Intermediate– Advanced– Advanced High
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Section a) provides the rationale for the standards and their integration into all subjects of the foundation and enrichment curriculum. Section b) sets forth the instructional framework, namely — to know the student’s proficiency level and what each level means to use that information to linguistically adjust content area instruction, with the dual goals of helping the student learn (1) the content area and (2) English to intervene in especially intensive ways to accelerate the second language acquisition of students who are at the beginning or intermediate level in grade 3 and up Section c) contains student expectations that specify what students need to learn to acquire a second language for academic purposes. The learning strategies maximize progress in the 4 language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Section d) contains proficiency level descriptors (PLDs) that describe how well students communicate in English at each stage of acquisition, or proficiency level. The four proficiency levels are described for each language domain.
Example Student Expectation (SE) and Proficiency Level Descriptor (PLD)
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What to learn – SEWriting SE (G) – Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail to fulfill content area writing needs as more English is acquired Stage of acquisition – PLD
Advanced writing (C)(IV) – Narrations, explanations, and descriptions developed in some detail with emerging clarity; quality or quantity declines when abstract ideas are expressed, academic demands are high, or low-frequency vocabulary is required
Presenter
Presentation Notes
This slide can be used to help show “in a nutshell” the relationship between the SEs and the PLDS. The SEs are designed to be able to be effectively integrated into content area instruction by any content area teacher. They do not require a particular specialization in second language acquisition. The PLDs describe the major features of each English language proficiency level within each language domain assessed.
ELPS-TELPAS Connection
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TELPAS Measures the ELPS.
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The two are integrally aligned.
Measuring the ELPS
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TELPAS assesses the abilities outlined in the
ELPS student expectations (SEs)
and reports performance in alignment with the
ELPS proficiency level descriptors (PLDs).
Presenter
Presentation Notes
For the holistically rated components of TELPAS, the SEs are not assessed in isolation. They are reflected holistically in the PLDs. The online TELPAS listening, speaking and reading tests for grades 2–12 do not use a holistic approach. Each test question measures a specific SE.
PLDs and Instruction
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Teachers should use the PLDs throughout the school year as formative assessment rubrics to — stay attuned to the English language proficiency levels of their
students monitor progress linguistically tailor (accommodate) content area instruction
and integrate second language instruction according to the proficiency level needs of their ELs as the students learn more English
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The PLDs are intended for use in ongoing instruction and should not be thought of as information to use just for TELPAS. Section b) of the ELPS (district responsibilities) as well as the introduction to each language domain’s SEs in section c) require teachers to use knowledge of students’ English language proficiency levels to guide instruction.
PLDs and Statewide Assessment
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For the TELPAS holistically rated domains, trained raters officially determine the English language proficiency levels of ELs in the spring.
ELs should be making steady progress all year.
TELPAS is a summative assessment that documents the proficiency levels of ELs as a statewide spring assessment.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Educators assigned to be the official TELPAS raters of ELs are trained to use the PLDs accurately and consistently statewide.
Summative TELPAS Assessment
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TELPAS answers the following question:
How well is the student currently able to understand and use English during grade-level instruction?
Presenter
Presentation Notes
How well is the student currently able to understand and use English during grade-level instruction? Teachers should clearly understand that this is the main question they are answering when they holistically assess students using the PLDs.
Benefit of TELPAS Rater Training on Formative Classroom Assessment
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Teachers trained as TELPAS raters internalize the PLDs so
that they are able to naturally and automatically assess
their students’ English language proficiency levels during
ongoing classroom instruction.
Benefit of Using PLDs in Instruction
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Teachers learn to make effective linguistic accommodations in class, which supports
• learning of academic subject matter(TEKS content area student expectations)
• learning of English language (ELPS student expectations)
Reviewing the ELPS-TELPAS Connection
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Teachers use the ELPS SEs and PLDs in instruction and for formative assessment all year.
TELPAS raters are trained in depth to learn to use the PLDs for the official purposes of statewide assessment.
In-depth TELPAS rater training makes ongoing, formative use of the PLDs easy and serves the purpose of statewide assessment.
For domains not holistically rated by TELPAS (listening, speaking, and reading in grades 2-12), teachers should be trained and become familiar with the ELPS SEs and PLDs to incorporate in classroom instruction and use during formative assessment.
Assessment Information for Administrators and Teachers
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To prepare for new school year:Use TELPAS results to evaluate whether students have been making steady progress in learning English. TELPAS confidential campus rosters include
• 2 years of test scores • how long student has been in U.S. schools
LPAC meetings during school year: Use previous spring’s TELPAS results and current year’s formative assessment results to gauge progress in English proficiency, plan for instructional interventions as needed, and inform spring decisions about student’s participation in state-required assessments.
Teachers determine English proficiency levels by observing students in class. They watch how their ELs
interact informally with them and other students
understand and use English• when receiving academic instruction and completing class work• during cooperative learning activities
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The formative assessment process works the same way during instruction throughout the school year.
Grades 2–12 Assessment Approach: Writing
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Teachers assemble a collection of each student’s writing from a
variety of content areas. Trained raters use the collection as the
basis for evaluating the student’s English language proficiency in
writing. Note that for ongoing formative assessment in grades 2–12, teachers use
classroom observations and interactions in addition to student writing samples to monitor and promote growth in English language writing proficiency.
For TELPAS, only the student writing collection is used when assessing English language writing proficiency. Information from classroom observations and interactions is not used.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Note that for ongoing formative assessment in grades 2-12, teachers use classroom observations and interactions in addition to student writing samples to monitor and promote growth in English language writing proficiency. For TELPAS, only the student writing collection is used when assessing English language writing proficiency. Information from classroom observation and interactions is not used. More information about the procedures for assembling TELPAS writing collections can be found in the following resources: PowerPoint titled Grades 2–12 Writing Collection Overview on TEA’s TELPAS Resources webpage TELPAS Rater Manual (available online in October on the TELPAS Resources webpage); the TELPAS Rater manual will only be available online Online course titled Assembling and Verifying Grades 2–12 Writing Collections (available online in January) Reminder: TELPAS raters of K–1 students base the rating of writing on classroom observation. Writing collections are optional for the K–1 grade levels.
Things to Know About TELPAS Rater Training and Administration Procedures
TELPAS Rater Training
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It is recommended that districts and campuses determine in the fall who their TELPAS raters will be in the spring.
A training flowchart is provided on the next slide.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Campus personnel should identify all ELs early in the school year and examine needs for new TELPAS raters.
Grades K–12 Holistic Rating Training Flowchart
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
It is recommended that this PowerPoint presentation plus the Introductory Training on the PLDs slides (available from TEA’s TELPAS Resources webpage) be used in providing foundational ELPS-TELPAS training to teachers in the fall of the year. Spring training of teachers (who will be new TELPAS raters) will be a smoother process when they already have this foundation. Summary of Spring Rater Training Process In the spring, new raters in grades K-1 (and those that have not completed calibration in the last 3 school years) complete an online basic training course, which includes practice rating activities for each language domain – listening, speaking, reading, and writing. New raters in grades 2-12 (and those that have not completed calibration in the last 3 school years) complete an online basic training course and practice rating activity in the domain of writing. New raters and returning raters complete calibration activities to ensure that they are prepared to apply the PLD rubrics consistently and accurately. Raters have the option of reviewing the online basic training course, if desired, before completing calibration activities. There are two sets of calibration activities. For K-1 each set contains 10 students. Each language domain is represented in each set. For 2-12 each set contains 10 writing collections. Raters successful on the first set do not calibrate further. Only individuals who do not rate accurately enough on the first set will complete the second set. Individuals not successful on the second set will either not be used as raters (a district decision) or will be provided rater support in accordance with test administration regulations. More information about the Web-based TELPAS rater training process is available in the PowerPoint titled Holistic Rating Training Requirements which can be accessed from TEA’s TELPAS Resources webpage.
K–1 Rater Credentials
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Each K-1 teacher selected to rate an EL must have the student in class at the time of the spring assessment
window, be knowledgeable about the student’s ability to use English in
instructional and informal settings, hold valid Texas education credentials, such as a teacher
certificate or permit, be appropriately trained in the holistic rating process, and rate the student in all eligible domains
Presenter
Presentation Notes
TELPAS raters may include: Bilingual education teachers English as a second language (ESL) teachers Elementary general education teachers Special education teachers Gifted and talented teachers Teachers of enrichment subjects Substitute teachers Paraprofessionals may not be designated as raters. TELPAS ratings reflect the ability of students to understand and use English during content area instruction. Therefore, teachers who have ELs in content area classes are integral to the assessment. Districts are encouraged to provide TELPAS rater training to as many new teachers as possible. TELPAS rater training helps teachers use the PLD component of the ELPS effectively. Training more rather than fewer teachers also helps districts ensure that they can effectively meet TELPAS rating needs in the spring should there be unforeseen changes in student schedules or teaching assignments.
2–12 Rater Credentials (Writing Only)
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A rater does not need to have the student in class at the time of the spring assessment window.
• Teachers are still required to assemble student writing collections.
The rater (including a substitute teacher) selected to rate an EL must
• hold valid Texas education credentials, such as a teacher certificate or permit
• be appropriately trained in the holistic rating process
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Starting in 2019–2020, raters do not need to have the students in class at the time of the spring assessment window. However, teachers are still required to assemble student writing collections. Districts that designate centralized raters will need to develop their own process to gather and verify the writing collections. If using the option of centralized raters, districts will need to develop their own process to gather the writing collections districtwide, campuswide, or by grade level(s). Please note that districts, at their discretion, can implement additional requirements for 2–12 raters of writing collections. Raters are not permitted to serve as verifiers.
2–12 Rater Credentials (Listening, Speaking, and Writing)
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In rare circumstances, an EL may be approved for a special administration for the listening and speaking domains.
In this situation, the teacher must rate the student in all the eligible domains. A campus is not permitted to use different raters for different domains.
A teacher (including a substitute teacher) selected to rate an EL must
• have the student in class at the time of the spring assessment window• be knowledgeable about the student’s ability to use English in
instructional and informal settings• hold valid Texas education credentials, such as a teacher certificate or
permit• be appropriately trained in the holistic rating process
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Raters may include bilingual teachers, ESL teachers, general education teachers, special education teachers, gifted and talented teachers, and teachers of enrichment subjects. Paraprofessionals may not serve as raters. For more information on special administration for an online test, refer to the Special Administration of an Online Assessment section in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources. Raters are not permitted to serve as verifiers.
Collaboration with Others
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In determining the proficiency ratings of their assigned students,
raters are highly encouraged to collaborate with other teachers
and school personnel who have knowledge of the students’
English proficiency.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
This type of communication and collaboration among teachers promotes discussions that lead to improved instructional strategies for ELs. To maximize student learning, teachers should engage in this type of collaboration at regular intervals during the school year. At the time of the spring TELPAS administration, collaboration among teachers helps ensure rating accuracy. Collaboration is particularly important when a student has different content area teachers and/or is near the border between two proficiency levels. After collaborating with other teachers, the official rater is responsible for assigning the ratings. Districts, including districts implementing centralized raters, are required to implement processes to ensure the validity and reliability of TELPAS ratings. Some of these processes may require centralized raters to collaborate with other raters or content area teachers. Remember the official rater is ultimately responsible for the ratings assigned.
District Validity and Reliability Procedures
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• Districts are required to implement procedures that ensure validity and reliability of the holistic rating process.
• Procedures may vary by campus, at district’s discretion.• For one year from the date of testing, campuses maintain
documentation of procedures followed.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The District and Campus Coordinator Resources for the Texas student assessment program outlines these requirements.
TELPAS Audits
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The Texas Education Agency conducts periodic audits of the TELPAS holistic assessment process. The goals of the audits are to examine whether• the ratings of teachers reflect appropriate and consistent
application of the PLD rubrics, and• school district personnel follow training and test
administration procedures.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
District and campus personnel selected for TELPAS audits are required to complete audit questionnaires and submit domain-specific assessment information to the testing contractor.
Essentials of Second Language Acquisition
Presenter
Presentation Notes
District and campus administrators, as well as teachers, should understand the essentials of the second language acquisition process.
Understanding Language Proficiency in Social and Academic Settings
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BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills
CALP: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Presenter
Presentation Notes
In 1981, Canadian professor and researcher, Jim Cummins, introduced these terms. The triangular graphic represents his “iceberg” model and shows two types of language proficiency: social (the visible portion above the water’s surface) and academic (the submerged portion). Both types of language proficiency are important for academic success. Students must be able to understand and use the English of everyday social and routine classroom interactions as well as the English they need for accessing and negotiating learning, processing cognitively demanding information, and building conceptual understanding. BICS: Everyday language needed for daily social interactions BICS are acquired more quickly than CALP and are often easy to observe. Examples of BICS: Listening and Speaking: Highly routine classroom interactions; discourse among friends in the hallway between classes, at recess, at lunch, on the school bus, on the telephone, at the mall, etc. Reading and Writing: Reading a note from a friend; composing/reading casual letters and e-mails; reading bulletin boards, announcements, and other environmental print; writing lists; etc. CALP: Language needed to access learning in academic settings This is the language students need in order to think critically, understand and learn new concepts, process complex academic material, and interact and communicate in academic contexts. This part of the “iceberg” has more depth because this type of language proficiency takes longer to acquire. Examples of CALP: Listening and Speaking: Participating in class discussions; listening to presentations; understanding language used in cognitively demanding explanations; presenting results of science experiments and observations Reading and Writing: Reading a book or article to gain information; writing an essay or story; building conceptual knowledge through reading classroom materials
The Argument for Academic English Language Proficiency
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
There is a distinction between language proficiency as a whole, academic achievement as a whole, and the overlapping section―academic language proficiency. Academic language proficiency is not the same as academic achievement but is an essential enabling component of academic achievement. ELs who have academic language proficiency understand the English that makes the learning of academic concepts and skills fully accessible. Academic language proficiency, therefore, provides the foundation for and access to academic achievement (though conceptual knowledge and skills, not just academic language proficiency, are necessary for academic achievement). Language proficiency encompasses both social language proficiency and academic language proficiency. Social Language Proficiency Language of social interaction Language acquisition often outside of school Tied to everyday life Grounded in language proficiency standards Academic Language Proficiency Language of content-based instruction Language acquisition mainly within school Tied to school life Grounded in language proficiency standards Academic Achievement Concepts of content-based instruction Conceptual development Tied to curriculum in specific content areas Grounded in academic content standards
Building English Language Proficiency: A Cumulative Process
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
This graphic illustrates that second language learning is a cumulative, spiraling, building process. The language skills associated with a given level are prerequisite to the broader range of skills at the next level. The arrows indicate that language continues to develop beyond the advanced high level. This level is not intended to be equal to the English language proficiency of a student whose first language is English. Over time, advanced high ELs understand finer nuances of English meaning, use more natural phrasing, and learn low-frequency words, idioms, sayings, etc., that are typically familiar to individuals whose first language is English. Rates of progress. Students move through the proficiency levels at different rates depending on factors such as age, language facility, and instructional variables. Some students progress more quickly in certain domains than others (e.g., some students may progress more quickly in speaking than writing). In addition, students may move through certain levels more quickly or slowly than other levels. Without appropriate instruction, for example, some second language learners may experience a “plateau” at the intermediate or advanced level. These students need carefully targeted linguistic support to help them attain the level of English they need to make the learning of academic concepts easier. Early and late stages. Each proficiency level encompasses a range of growth and has an early, middle, and late stage. Students in the later stages of a level demonstrate language features that “peak” into the next level. Students in the early stages of a new level occasionally demonstrate language features that “spike down” to the previous level. Raters should not classify a student in a level unless the student now performs most consistently at that level. When a student is near the border between two levels, raters need to determine at which level the student performs most consistently. Advanced high. ELs at this level need only minimal support specific to second language acquisition. They know enough academic English to use the English language as an effective medium for learning academic material, with minimal second language acquisition support, in regular English instructional settings.
Linguistic Domains
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1. Listening: the ability to understand spoken language, comprehend and extract information, and follow social and instructional discourse through which information is provided
2. Speaking: the ability to use spoken language appropriately and effectively in learning activities and social interactions
3. Reading: the ability to comprehend and interpret written text at the grade-appropriate level
4. Writing: the ability to produce written text with content and format to fulfill grade-appropriate classroom assignments
Adapted from Alief ISD Language Proficiency Profile
Presenter
Presentation Notes
This slide shows what the four linguistic domains mean in relation to evaluating the English language development of English learners. Note that the definitions are not tied to academic achievement but rather to the communication skills that second language learners need in order to use English as an effective medium for academic instruction at their grade levels.
Teaching Language Through Content Area Instruction
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
Communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing are at the core of all academic learning. As shown in the graphic, when content area teachers give ELs frequent, targeted practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English, they build the English communication skills that enable ELs to develop and/or apply critical processing and thinking skills. ELs need frequent opportunities to practice new English vocabulary and language structures. The ELPS student expectations make sure these needs are addressed. Importance of Speaking and Writing: ELs internalize* the English they are exposed to much more readily when they actively practice and use language through speaking and writing activities. Having plenty of speaking and writing opportunities in content area instruction is beneficial for all students but is particularly important for ELs. It helps them not only learn the academic concepts of the content area but also internalize basic and academic English vocabulary. Teachers should not assume that ELs internalize language just by hearing it or seeing it in writing. *Internalize in this context means making newly learned English “stick” as a permanent rather than temporary part of an EL’s “bank” of English. ELs at the beginning and intermediate proficiency levels are bombarded with new language during daily instruction delivered in English. They cannot internalize everything they are exposed to. The language that sticks is language they frequently encounter, language presented in interesting and relevant contexts, and language they actively practice and use.
Summing Up
Ways ELPS and TELPAS Reinforce Quality Instruction
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ELs use and practice their developing language. Teachers collaborate about the needs of ELs. Teachers use common vocabulary with one another
and parents in• describing language levels and needs of ELs, and• setting goals for progress.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Because of their English limitations, ELs are sometimes hesitant to participate in class and reluctant to try to express thoughts and ideas in English. Through the ELPS and TELPAS, teachers are encouraged to interact more with their ELs and give them frequent opportunities to use and practice their developing English. Teachers used to working with ELs better understand that the way ELs communicate as they learn English is a natural part of second language acquisition. This helps teachers put students at ease, which, in turn, helps ELs feel less reluctant about taking risks and trying to express themselves in English. When teachers collaborate, they learn from each other and share instructional strategies that help their ELs. Some content area teachers may be accustomed to thinking only in terms of whether students are able to perform required grade-level academic skills. The ELPS and TELPAS help teachers also think in terms of how the language development of ELs affects their academic learning and how helping ELs with English supports their ability to achieve academically.
Ways ELPS and TELPAS Reinforce Quality Instruction (Continued)
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Teachers understand the stages of learning English and how to get students from one proficiency level to the next.
Teachers learn to linguistically accommodate (communicate, sequence, and scaffold) instruction according to the English language proficiency levels of ELs.
ELs learn academic content more readily when they understand the language of their instruction.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Linguistically accommodating instruction delivered in English means making it comprehensible to a student who struggles to understand the English language. Any student has difficulty learning challenging academic material when the language used in the instruction is “over their heads.” Using language at the level an EL currently understands helps the student more effectively learn academic content taught in English. Caution: Communicating with ELs only at their current level of understanding is not sufficient. Teachers must also make gradual and deliberate efforts to move students from their current level of English proficiency to higher levels. The PLDs give teachers a “road map” for doing this. When teachers are successful in helping students reach higher proficiency levels, teachers and students both benefit. Teachers benefit because they don’t need to make such extensive linguistic accommodations during instruction, which makes their job easier. Students benefit because they become more proficient in English, which builds their confidence and makes it easier for them to learn academic material taught in English.
Bottom Line
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Effective implementation of ELPS and TELPAS assessment approach throughout the school year helps ELs
learn English more quickly, and
grasp academic concepts and skills more readily.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
To continue with foundational ELPS-TELPAS training, you may wish to use the PowerPoint modules titled Introductory Training on the PLDs, Grades 2–12 or Introductory Training on the PLDs, Grades K–1, and the publication titled TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate Educator Guide. These resources are available on TEA’s TELPAS Resources webpage.
Disclaimer
These slides have been prepared by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency. You are welcome to use them for local training.
If any of the slides are changed for local use, please remove any TEA logos, headers, or footers. (You may need to edit the Master slide.)
